This invention relates generally to apparatus for and a method of metering of coating, and more particularly to a device for and a method of controlling the thickness of a coating composition on the coated side of a moving web of material, such as linerboard, paperboard, paper, film, foil or the like.
Numerous devices exist for metering excess applied coating color on a moving web into a smooth thin layer. These include blades that are prestressed into the moving web by torsional loading, blades that are loaded by air bags, blades that are mechanically loaded, and blades that are loaded by combinations of such loadings. Such devices have various deficiencies, such as high cost, complex support and adjustment elements, and difficulty in maintaining uniform contact pressure between the blade and the web, resulting in streaks, mottling scratches and variations in coating thickness across the width of the web.